Giant's Fire: The Lands of the Old Gods
by pistonsfan75
Summary: After Jon Snow is murdered by the traitors of the Night's Watch, he's reunited with Ygritte and their son Eddard, but his remaining living family and the rest of Westeros need him to return to them. I recommend reading my story Giant's Fire first.
1. Chapter 1

..."For the watch."

Ollie's cold dagger blade pierced Jon's heart. The pain filled his chest and literally took his breathe away. The Lord Commander stood gasping, staring at the hateful sneers on his brothers' faces.

As he whispered "Ollie", his head started to spin, his vision began to darken, and he fell. His murderers left him in the snow to bleed to death in the frigid air.

As the life bled out of him, his last thought was of Ygritte. He'd be together with her soon.

Jon woke up with the sun on his face. He was laying under a Weirwood tree. The last thing he remembered was Ollie's face sneering at him as he fell.

He ran his hand over his chest, but felt no pain and no blood.

Hearing the sound of a nearby river, he felt suddenly thirsty. Slowly, he stood up, but didn't feel lightheaded.

After taking a long drink, he looked around. There were mountains in the distance, and a castle. Other Weirwood trees sat along both sides of the river. Birds could be heard singing in the branches.

Jon started walking along the river, towards the castle. It looked similar to Winterfell.

As he drew closer, he noticed a gathering of people standing outside the gates, looking at him.

It was his father, his brother, everyone he'd loved who made this journey before him. He met his Aunt Lyanna, his grandfather Rickard, and his Uncle Brandon.

Robb's wife Talisa was with him, along with two small children. He'd heard she had been with child when the Freys had murdered them. Jon bent down and greeted the two small boys, before hugging his brother and sister-in-law.

Ygritte stood nearby, and she walked up to him with their infant son Eddard in her arms. She placed their son, who was born silent, and had taken his mother with him soon after, into Jon's arms. He stared into the tiny boy's violet eyes, and the baby reached out and touched his face.

As he handed the baby back to Ygritte, he stared into her eyes, remembering the intimacy they'd shared in that cave. She stared back. The fire that had burned between them sparked again. He reached out and touched her face, then kissed her passionately.

The sound of a man clearing his throat caused them to break apart.

Jon noticed a tall, silver haired man standing within the group. He resembled a Targaryen. Why was a Targaryen there, welcoming him to the lands of the Old Gods?

Ned Stark turned to him. "It's time for you to learn who your real mother is."

His aunt Lyanna stepped forward. "I am your mother." She hugged him, then turned to the silver haired man next to her.

"This is your father, Rhaegar Targaryen. Everyone believed that Rhaegar kidnapped me, but we were in love, so we ran away to Doorn. There, a High Septon married us and I got pregnant with you right away. But, right before you were born, Rhaegar was killed in battle. As I lay dying on my birthing bed, Ned found me. I made him promise to keep you safe from Robert Baratheon. That's why he declared you to be his bastard son, to protect you."

Jon felt his head spinning again, much like after he'd been stabbed. All his life, he'd longed to know who his birth mother was. Now, here she was, right in front of him.

"Your name is Aegon Targaryen, sixth of his name."

Aegon Targaryen. He was a Targaryen. Not a Snow. Not a bastard.

"I just want to be called Jon."

Lyanna and Rhaegar led him to a rock to sit down. He just sat and stared at both of them, still trying to process this new information.

He looked up at Ned, his uncle. "You never told Lady Catelyn. Why?"

"I'm sorry, Jon. I didn't tell her because I didn't trust anyone to keep your true identity completely secret. Only Howland Reed knew, because he was there. He vowed, to me and to Lyanna, to keep it completely secret. I'm sorry I allowed her to mistreat you."

Jon stared at his uncle, as he ran a finger over an old scar above his eye left by Lady Catelyn when he was much younger. She'd struck him on the side of his face with a goblet after he'd beaten Robb in sword training.

His mother traced her finger over it as well, then she touched a scar on his shoulder where he'd been whipped. Then she turned to face her brother.

"That was protecting him? I trusted you, Ned, and you allowed that horrible, jealous woman to beat him."

Lyanna walked up to her brother and slapped him across the face. If Lady Catelyn had been present, she'd have smacked her on the side of the face with a goblet. Ned stared at the ground, then looked up at his furious sister.

"I'm sorry, Lyanna and Rhaegar. I'm sorry, Jon. "

"I think you've had enough for one day, let's get you home." Rhaegar held a hand out, for Jon to grab, and he stood up.

"Home?"

"This castle is your home now."

Ygritte walked alongside him as they all made the short trek to the castle. As he reached the gates, he put his hand on her arm. " Stay with me? "

" Of course. We already live here. "

" We don't have to eat bat droppings, do we? "

" You know nothing, Jon Snow. "

After they'd settled little Eddard into his bed for the night, Ygritte led him to a bed covered with furs.

" I've been sleeping here every night, waiting for you. I knew you would come to us soon. "

In moments, their clothes lay on the floor and only the cool castle air stood between them. As they both laid down on the bed, Jon took in every inch of her body with his eyes, from her lips to her breasts to her toes. He cupped a hand around each of her breasts and kissed them, then locked his lips on hers as they joined together. They drank each other in, all night. Making up for the time that earthly mortality had taken.

Sometime during the night, as they both lay catching their breath in each other's arms, Ygritte looked out the window. Blue, green and white streaks of Giant's Fire colored the sky. Jon wrapped a blanket around the both of them as they stood and watched the colors dance around the sky, reflected by a tranquil black sea.

"I never want to leave." Jon whispered into her hair, as he held her tightly to his side.

As the dawn cast the first light over the land of the Old Gods, two lovers lay tangled together. Once separated by death, but now together in perpetuity.

Ygritte watched Jon as he slept, having awoken with the sun. She traced her finger over the scars on his chest. Scars that had led him back to her.

He opened his eyes, and pulled her close to him. They made love again, surrounded by furs and the cool morning air.

When they were done, Eddard could be heard happily chattering in his little bed. The three of them walked outside. The sun was shining, and the birds could be heard in the branches of the Weirwood trees again.

As Jon and Ygritte shared a kiss, a strange sound filled their ears. It sounded like a woman's voice chanting in a foreign tongue. They looked around, but no interloper was in view.

As the two lovers stared at each other, trying to make sense of the sounds, Jon's mother and father walked up to him.

"She's calling you back to the land of the living. There's still much for you to do." His father interpreted the voice, as he'd grown up speaking Old Valyrian. "She says your siblings are in danger, your home in the hands of your enemies, your fellow man stalked by agents of death. They need you back. Death marches on the wall, and you have to rally an army to fight it. You need to take back your home, your lands, or evil will rule all of it. You are the shield that guards the realms of men."

Jon was frozen in his tracks, in shock.

"I'm not leaving her! Or my son! The living can figure out their own world."

His mother led him to a pool of water. "Look."

He looked into the water. He saw Sansa being beaten, then running through the forest with Theon, hunting dogs at their heels. Then he saw Rickon, in The Last Hearth.

" He'll be in a dungeon soon, being mistreated. He needs you. "

Next, Jon saw the army of the dead, marching towards the wall. "They will get past the wall. You have to unite everyone to fight together."

He looked at Ygritte, and then at Eddard.

"I'm sorry, my Love. I have to go. I'll be back. Someday."

He kissed her tenderly, then kissed their son on the forehead, and walked toward the Weirwood tree he woke up under.

"Jon!"

He turned back around to face Ygritte.

"We'll be here, waiting for you."

He reached out and touched the tree. The last glimpse he had was his mother with her arm around Ygritte, her head resting on the older woman's shoulder.

He felt a rushing feeling, and suddenly he was freezing cold and practically naked on his table in the Lord Commander's chambers.

After Ser Davos had helped him dress, and brought him food, Jon sought out the Red Woman.

"You brought me back?"

"The Lord of Light is not done with you yet, Aegon Targaryen, 6th of the name."

"Do not call me that. I'm Jon Snow. Please do not share it with anyone, either."

"I will not. You have my word. In time, the truth will be revealed. When Westeros is ready. Until that day comes, you are Jon Snow. You will be with them again, one day. "

..


	2. Chapter 2

..Hardhome was decimated. There was no kinder way to put it. The gate was a shambles. The council building leveled. The docks broken. Clothing, tents, every imaginable item… scattered everywhere. No living soul had been there since the Night King had attacked the Free Folk as they prepared to board ships headed South.

Jon and Tormund had ridden from their most recent camp to the place that had once been home to over 100,000 Free Folk. The intent was to see how inhabitable it was. It wasn't. Not without a tremendous amount of repairs and clean up.

They relayed this to the Free Folk. Everyone was agreeable to making camp nearby and starting the work. Hardhome was once theirs, and it was time to take it back.

All the wood was saved to make houses, cloth saved for clothing and tents. As they restored their city, nothing was wasted. Some of the young children didn't remember Hardhome, but the older children and the adults did. It once stretched all the way to the horizon.

The bag of dragon glass daggers was eventually found in the wreckage of the old council building, where all the tribe leaders would meet. It was to be kept in the new council building, to keep alive the memories of those who died fighting the dead

Jon and Tormund and all who were able, worked tirelessly for months. Hardhome was an ideal place to settle, because it was close by the Shivering Sea on one side and the Frostfang mountains on the other.

With Jon and Tormund as their leaders and a place to call home, the Free Folk finally began to thrive. Babies were born and their numbers increased. Tormund took a wife, but Jon never did.

He never felt he could truly love again after losing Ygritte. He questioned to himself whether or not he had ever loved Daenarys. At the time, he thought he had, but more time had passed since her rule had ended with his dagger. He knew he could never replace his feisty redhead, even with the Mother of Dragons. Even in his most intimate moments with Daenarys, he'd seen Ygritte's face. Was it love or just lust and a strong desire to save the north?

From their location on Storrold's point, they could see every ship coming through that portion of the Shivering Sea. When a ship with black sails was seen docked a ways out from the harbor, it attracted attention. It was there for several days.

Free Folk who had been around a while knew it didn't mean anything good. Slavers from Essos sometimes raided the villages of the Free Folk.

Jon's little cabin was closer to the mountains, a small distance from the harbor. He thought he'd seen movement in the Frostfangs before the sun had gone down, and assigned several men to keep watch at the Harbor and near the mountains.

He'd been asleep for a few hours when he heard noises by the entrance. When he opened his eyes, before he could even reach for Longclaw, the tip of a spear was under his chin. Grey Worm stood next to his bed, hate in his eyes.

"You killed my queen. Now I kill you."

Jon tried to get up, but another Unsullied put the point of his spear against his chest. He reached for his sword, but it was gone. There were four soldiers in his room. He was outnumbered.

Grey Worm had spent the last several months sailing back to Westeros and tracking down Jon. He knew he'd been sent to Castle Black, so he and a crew of 30 Unsullied went there first, then traveled north. When he saw the mountains surrounding most of Hardhome, he decided to sail into the Harbor. Half of the Unsullied stayed behind in the mountains to watch and learn Jon's location and routine. When they met up with Grey Worm, they shared what they knew. They'd learned where his cabin was located and when he usually came and went.

Now he had his target. He'd already passed Longclaw to the other Unsullied behind him. He pushed the tip of his spear into Jon's throat and cut it. Then he looked into Jon's eyes.

"You thought Unsullied let you go so easy? You escape Unsullied wrath then, but Torgo Nudo know Unsullied come back."

Jon couldn't breathe. As he gasped and tried to pull in air, he remembered the dagger he kept strapped to the side of his bed. He stealthily snaked his hand around the edge and grabbed it, then quickly plunged it into Grey Worm's chest. Then he pulled it out and stabbed him in the chest again.

The Unsullied who had been holding the spear to Jon's chest pushed it into his heart. Just like when the Night's Watch traitors had stabbed him, he felt his life slipping away and his last thoughts were of Ygritte and Eddard.

That morning, Tormund noticed Jon hadn't left his cabin. They'd been planning to go hunting that day. Shortly after dawn, when he still hadn't shown, Tormund banged on the door.

"Come on, you pretty crow. Get up!"

Noticing a trail of blood on the snow near the cabin, he kicked the door in. Jon laid on the bed, covered in blood. A crimson covered dagger was in his hand. A trail of blood led to the door. Whoever did it, Jon got some good strikes in first.

Tormund was about to leave to go build a funeral pyre for his friend, when he noticed a helmet on the floor. Picking it up, he recognized it. He'd seen thousands of these at Winterfell. It was an Unsullied helmet, and the special insignia on the front of it marked it as belonging to the leader of the Unsullied.

Grey Worm. He'd wanted Jon's head ever since he'd killed that dragon queen.

Tormund looked at the dagger in Jon's hand. The dagger and Jon's hand were covered in blood. He'd killed Grey Worm before he'd succumbed to his injuries, which appeared to have been inflicted by a spear.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

Jon woke up under the same Weirwood tree, next to the river. He stood up slowly, and walked to the river to take a drink.

After splashing his face with water, he saw Ygritte and Eddard walking towards him. Jon ran to them. He picked up Eddard and swung him high in the air, then hugged him tightly. The little guy was 6 years old now.

Putting his son down, he turned to Ygritte. She ran and jumped into his arms and planted her mouth on his. Jon held her as close as he could as their lips connected.

...I wanna spend the rest of my life

with you by my side

forever and ever…*

They were finally together and now he'd never have to leave. He could spend the rest of eternity in Ygritte's arms. As they kissed, he ran his hands up and down her back and through her hair, remembering again how it felt to hold her.

When they finally broke apart, they stared into each other's eyes. Ygritte put her hands on each side of Jon's face.

"Are you here to stay with us now? Because I won't be able to stand it if you leave us again."

"I don't think the Free Folk have any Red Priestesses and Melisandre is dead. So, I'm here to stay."

At his words, Ygritte's face broke into a huge smile and she kissed him again. Then she leaned her forehead into his as she caught her breath.

"You're mine, Ygritte. And I'm yours." Jon took a hold of her head, as he gently kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She planted another kiss on his lips. "I am yours, and you are mine. Forever."

"Forever…", whispered Jon.

They stared into each other's eyes again, holding each other and kissing, until the sound of his father clearing his throat interrupted them.

His mother was standing with Eddard, but she ran up to hug her son. Then his father hugged him.

Robb's boys ran up to him, so Jon squatted down to catch them both in a bear hug. Then he hugged Robb and Talisa.

A curly haired teenage boy ran up to Jon and tackled him, knocking him over.

"Rickon!", Jon exclaimed as he stood back up and hugged his little brother. Rickon was always tackling his older brother when they were both much younger at Winterfell.

"I am so sorry, Rickon. I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"We're both here now, that's what matters."

Next was Uncle Benjen, who hugged him and then clapped him on the shoulder. "I want to hear all about how the Night King and his army were defeated. But another day." He nodded at Ygritte and ruffled Eddard's hair. "You have other priorities today."

"I'll tell you all about it. About Arya." Uncle Benjen smiled at the mention of his wild, heroic niece. "I did nothing."

Jon turned to his gathered loved ones. "I know my rightful name is Aegon Targaryen the 6th, but can everyone just call me Jon?"

They all nodded. "It's not that I don't want the name, but for 25 years I've been 'Jon' to everybody. Thank you."

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

Back at Hardhome, Tormund and the Free Folk had built a pyre for their friend and leader. Everybody turned up to bid him farewell. They all knew they were alive because he had taken a stand for them.

I am the shield

That guards

The realms of men

When he'd recited his vows, he knew it meant *all* men, not just those lucky enough to be born south of the wall. He gave the Free Folk a chance by bringing south all those who'd survived the Night King's massacre at Hardhome.

Long after the fire had burned down to embers, many remained around it sharing memories of Jon.

Tormund planned to set off for Winterfell in the morning, with a handful of men, to give Longclaw to Sansa Stark to keep, and to tell her of Jon's death.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

In the Lands of the Old Gods, the sun was going down. Jon told Eddard a story about riding the dragon Rhaegal and the two tucked him into bed.

Ygritte led him by the hand to their bedroom. No sooner had the door closed, then Jon pinned her against it, kissing her mouth and face and hair as his hands roamed all over her. As they broke away, Jon stared into her eyes.

"We're together."

Ygritte nodded, overcome with emotion and barely able to speak.

"We're together,'' she whispered.

"No more war, no more death, no one to come between us. Now we have eternity, here."

"Don't ever betray me, Jon Snow, or I'll cut your balls off and wear 'em round me neck."

Jon laughed. It was something she'd told him once in the cave, while they were all tangled up next to a hot spring.

"I'll never leave. I'm here."

Ygritte pushed him onto the bed and sent her clothes flying as his own found a place on the floor. Then she climbed on top of him, and they didn't let go until sunrise.

The smell of your skin

The taste of your kiss

The way you whisper in the dark

Your hair all around me

Baby you surround me

Touch every place in my heart*

Early in the morning, the two stood at the window, wrapped in a blanket watching the sun come up.

Ygritte touched the new scars on his neck and chest. "I'm sorry they killed you, but I'm not sorry you returned to me. Who was it?"

"The Unsullied. An army from Essos that the Dragon Queen brought to Westeros to fight the undead and take the throne. After I put a knife in her heart, they wanted to kill me, but my sisters fought for my life. A compromise was made and I was sent to the Wall instead. When they brought me out of the cell and gave Longclaw back to me, their leader told me that someday he would have his revenge, and he did. He came to my cabin and killed me."

"You put your knife in the Dragon Queen's heart?"

Oh, fuck. "Yes."

"Did you put anything else in her?"

Jon stared at the floor. "Yes."

Ygritte slapped him, then shoved him into the wall.

"I was trying to make allies, to save the North and defeat the Night King. I was also trying to help her make an heir."

Ygritte's eyes burned a hole in his skull.

"I'm sorry. I truly am."

"Did you love her?"

"No."

"Are you lying to me, Jon Snow?"

"No. I was attracted to her, but I didn't love her. Every time I looked into her eyes, I saw you."

"She's not here."

"No. Her first love was a Dothraki Khal. He died and their son died. I'm sure she's in the Nightlands with them. I don't think she loved me. She was still in love with him."

Ygritte stared at him for a moment. "I don't know whether to slap you again or kiss you."

"Then kiss me."

Ygritte jumped into Jon's arms and wrapped her legs around him. He carried her to the window sill and they stared into each other's eyes as they made love in the first light of the day. After, they stayed by the window, clinging to each other.

"I love you, Jon Snow."

"I love you, too."

Later that morning, the little family walked along the river and picked fruit from berry bushes growing along the banks. Jon's heart swelled with love as he watched Eddard running and playing with his pet direwolf.

Uncle Benjen joined them, and when Eddard was out of earshot, he turned to the two. "I know you two are making up for lost time, but try to stay away from the windows."

Jon's and Ygritte's cheeks burned and they both spoke at once. "Oops."

"Some of us are early risers."

"Okay, sorry Uncle Benjen. We will."

"Good. Enough about that. I want you to tell me about my niece and the Night King."

"Arya trained with the Faceless Men. She's stealthy and fearless. She had the smith make her a double-ended dragonglass spear. She crept up behind him as he was preparing to kill Bran, and made a flying leap. He caught her, but she had hold of his other arm. She stabbed him in the chest with a Valerian steel dagger and he burst into a million ice crystals. Then all the White Walkers burst into ice shards and every one of the dead men fell."

"That's my girl!" Benjen beamed with pride. "Where is she now?"

"Sailing with a crew, west of Westeros to see what's out there."

"That's where all the maps stop. I guess she'll add to them."

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

Down in King's Landing, Bran had seen the Unsullied near Hardhome and sent a raven to warn them, but it arrived too late. Bran knew his brother was dead.

He still warged into ravens and surveyed the lands North of the wall, as well as the rest of Westeros and Essos. He also rode ravens west to check on Arya. She had found a very large island and docked on it, alive and well.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

Tormund arrived in Winterfell and requested an audience with the queen in the North. He told her of Jon Snow's death at the hands of the Unsullied leader and how Jon had killed Grey Worm before succumbing to his injuries. He presented her with Longclaw to keep. She was grateful the Unsullied had left it behind.

Jon's body had been burned in keeping with the tradition of the Free Folk, but Sansa vowed to commission a statue for him in the Winterfell crypt.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

During the days, Jon and Ygritte played with Eddard and Robb's boys, Benjen and Branden, and talked with the other family members.

Jon and Benjen talked about the Night's Watch for hours on end, including Craster's keep and Jon's time with the Free Folk. Benjen had been to his keep on several occasions, and was just as disgusted by him as Jon.

Jon talked with Lyanna about Ygritte's death after giving birth to Eddard. How he wished he'd had her there to help him sort it all out.

He talked with Ned and Robb about their family. About Sansa marrying Tyrion and then Ramsey. About losing the loyalty of the Karstarks and Umbers. Robb recognized the mistakes he made during the War of the Five Kings. They were both incredibly proud of Arya for killing the Night King.

Ned remembered watching his youngest daughter training with the Former first sword of Braavos.

"When I watched her train with Syrio Forel in King's Landing. I knew her skill with a sword would lead her to do something great. I just didn't know what."

At night, Jon and Ygritte got lost in each other. Every touch, every kiss seemed sweeter than the last.

And it feels like the first time

every time

I want to spend the whole night

in your eyes*

Whenever the Giant's Fire painted the sky, they would wrap up in blankets and watch it out the window. Or lay on the ground on blankets outside.

There was nothing to tear them apart anymore. The Lands of the Old Gods never had war. No illness. No death. Nothing to come between them. They were together.

*- starred text is from Amazed by Lonestar. I listened to that song on loop while writing most of this, much to my spouse's chagrin.


End file.
